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The American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal district court to bolster access to the ballot for Wisconsin voters by permitting more types of acceptable identification for voting, and by allowing people who have difficulty obtaining identification to vote by affidavit.

The motion comes in response to a federal appeals court decision upholding the law, and seeks modifications to help ensure voter access to the polls. It asks that the limited list of acceptable identification be expanded to include IDs for veterans and students attending technical colleges, as well as out-of-state driver licenses.

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, said:

"Thousands of Wisconsinites face barriers to the polls due to the limited forms of ID mandated under the state's strict voter ID law. We're asking the court to help lift these barriers by allowing a broader range of options."

Christopher Ahmuty, executive director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, said:

“When Wisconsin implements photo ID, virtually nonexistent voter fraud can not go down, but otherwise qualified voters will not be able to vote. Will Wisconsinites accept losing their right to vote?”

The ACLU, the ACLU of Wisconsin, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and Dechert LLP are co-counsel in this case, Frank v. Walker. The motion was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.